What did you do in the garden today?

[Happy hen lover]

For the fire ants I would get a torch and light em up. Fight fire with fire. Haven't done anything with the garden yet but got to have 2 of the grandkids stay the night. Been busy trying to get the house cleaned and organized.

That's my DH Method. gas and fire! What male doesn't like a fire.? Anyway it works

 

[Happy hen lover]

I agree!

Oh, and what did they do the Lever liquid!? It was so nice years ago. I recently got a bottle...omg yuck! They changed from white milky smooth liquid to this harsh blue detergent crap...it is awful!

Ok back to spreading mulch, have a good day everyone & drive safe on the roads, so many morons behind wheels on weekends.

I agree I loved that Lever liquid gentle but antibacterial too. Loved it for pits. Harsh blue, might as well use dawn!

 

[Sueby]

I love the skunks, they eat the grubs! Not a fan when they spray, but they don't do that too much. DH even let one out of a trap & it didn't spray him.

I used to make my own soap, now I get it from a local goat farmer. Our water here suck so bad, it just works better.

 

[TJAnonymous]

Do you have mounds? If you said they're everywhere...sounds like you may Not have the mound making type. In that case, only bait will work. You need to figure out what type of fire ants you have. The ones I have here are European Fire Ants. They do not make mounds. They create extensive tunnel systems, for hundreds of feet, then have more queens with more tunnels, covering acres & acres. Their home base is who knows where, down in the tunnels, underground. I have followed ants carrying yellow bait, just to see if I could figure out where home was...yeah right, 50 to 75 feet in all different directions. They are also in my yard and I have found them over the entire two acres, as well as the gravel roadway & neighboring yards & farm fields...I'm talkin acres & acres worth. There is no eradicating this particular type, since they're tunneling systems are so widespread. All I can do here is manage the number using spinosad bait, the only stuff that works & is deemed an organic treatment.

The local Ag Extension actually came out here & collected some ants to be properly identified after I emailed them photos. You may want to do that before trying treatments. I too, 1st tried borax. It had no effect at all. Other types of fire ant bait can be damaging to other beneficial insects, etc. Apparently in my case, these ants have been here for many decades. The previous owner & former family farm owner both told me they recalled stinging ants over many decades. I'm the only one that had them identified. The little horrors actually climbed up my shovel handle, got inside my garden gloves & stung the crap out of my hands. My hands swelled up for a week! They climb up shoes inside pant legs...yeah one got my inner thigh. You ever see a crazy woman rip her jeans off running around swatting & screaming in her underwear, you know she just got stung bad. They climb up your shirt & sting the back of your neck under the ponytail. They hitch a ride on your clothing & end up in the house. Try to swat them off, they have a death grip on skin & clothes. Try to step on them, full weight, they emerge unscathed from the ball they curled into. You literally need a freaking hammer to smash them, I'm not kidding. Their exoskeleton is armor!

The product I sprinkle down & see the ants carrying off is Antixx granular. Their numbers will diminish with ongoing use, but they will never totally ever be gone.

They invaded Maine & northern states in the 1930s. Look up Eleanor Groden. I spoke with her, she told me the sad truth about these nasty ants.
https://www.maine.gov/dacf/php/gotpests/bugs/factsheets/fire-ants-me.pdf

https://entnemdept.ufl.edu/creatures/urban/ants/myrmica_ruba.htm
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Oh yes, we have the mounding type. There are mounds all over the pasture. I actually have one that's also taken over one of the water shut-off valves for the garden water line too. I'll have to clear them out before I can turn the irrigation line on. They've also made their nests in numerous raised beds... I wreck every nest I find, just out of spite. I don't use commercial fire ant killer though because my chickens and ducks forage around the pasture. I try to stick to organic and animal safe options.

Haven't tried the cayenne water but it looks appealing!

 

[TJAnonymous]

For the fire ants I would get a torch and light em up. Fight fire with fire. Haven't done anything with the garden yet but got to have 2 of the grandkids stay the night. Been busy trying to get the house cleaned and organized.

This is what my husband does... He burns the mounds with great delight.

 

[TJAnonymous]

I knew what you meant & didn't even catch that typo

We use liquid soaps, they don't scum up the shower as bad as bar soaps do. I really like the Dr. Bronner Lavender. I love Mint or Lemon soaps, too. I've got Lemon at the kitchen sink.

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I make my own goat milk soap but I also bought a ton of almond scented castile soap a few years ago. Made with essential oils. Smells awesome

 

[WthrLady]

I still love setting one mound against another.
Great pleasure.... bwahahaaaaa

 

[BigBlueHen53]

How do you do that?

 

[Dough Hill]

Did do anything yet but buying more seeds and look for places to plant

 

[fuzzi]

I knew what you meant & didn't even catch that typo

We use liquid soaps, they don't scum up the shower as bad as bar soaps do. I really like the Dr. Bronner Lavender. I love Mint or Lemon soaps, too. I've got Lemon at the kitchen sink.

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I like Castile soap, have used it for hand washing delicate clothing, but never tried it for bathing.

My skin is too sensitive for "sensitive skin" soaps. I switched over to goat milk soap and my skin is soft...and NO STINK!

I buy it from GoatMilkStuff, online. Very happy with their "stuff", recommend it highly.